Each year students in Years 10 and 11 from Sacred Heart College can apply to participate in our Indigenous Immersion Trip to Jarlmadangah Burru (250 kms East of Broome). This trip offers our students a hands-on experience of the uniqueness of Aboriginal culture, spirituality and language with a key component of this visit being time spent in classroom activities at the Nyikina Mangala Community School.

After 18 months of back and forth and uncertainty the 2020 Jarlmadangah group were able to set off on their much-awaited adventure… almost. As a result of Victoria’s lockdowns and struggles with the virus we weren’t allowed to visit the community in Western Australia, understandably. Ms Tanner and Mr Minter were extremely considerate and worked to find away for us to still get to have this experience and have our work pay off. So finally, on 24 June, Jack Turner, Kate Bartlett, Lincoln Roberts, Hayden Clune, Carmen Moore, Aleshia Vella, Tegan Hickey, and myself set off for Warrnambool in the south west of the state. With Mr Minter driving, and Lincoln on music, we spent the three-hour journey excitedly looking at the many wind turbines scattered along the way. After some unsuccessful whale watching, and an entirely fictitious backstory from John the whale watcher we headed to Budj Bim, a cultural landscape on Gunditjmara country.

Although it wasn’t the experience we all thought we would have at Jarlmadanga, it was still an incredibly rewarding experience. We are incredibly thankful that Sacred Heart, along with Ms Tanner and Mr Minter, ensured we were still given this opportunity.